


A Thin Line

by atetheredmind (s_e_irvine)



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:17:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_e_irvine/pseuds/atetheredmind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are not friends. In fact, they absolutely despise each other. Or so she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Who brings their little brother to a college party? Honestly," Katniss muttered, just loud enough so Gale could hear her over the music. He shrugged.

"I don't know—if Rory was a little older, I'd invite him," he said, swigging the last of his Bud Light. Then he crushed the can in his fist and tossed it into the recycling bin, where it clattered against glass and aluminum.

Katniss rolled her eyes at him. "Well, the difference there is Rory's cool. Peeta Mellark is not," she retorted, glancing back at the curly-haired blonde, who was chatting with some giggly, breathy brunette over near the glass doors of the porch. She was certain the girl was at least a second-year, like Gale and his roommate Rye, Peeta's older brother. Katniss wanted to snort; no doubt this girl thought Peeta was some college stud, with those obnoxiously broad shoulders and that smug smirk on his face. How much would she be laughing if she realized the kid was still in high school?

Katniss did not like Peeta Mellark. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say she  _hated_ Peeta Mellark.

Because Peeta Mellark was a dick.

He'd been a dick the moment she'd first met him, when he'd called her "Cat Piss" in sixth grade and had laughed with his asshole friends like he'd just said the funniest damn thing in the whole world. He'd stopped laughing when she punched him in the face, though.

Of course, she'd been sent to the principal's office and given detention for a week. But it had been worth it, just to see the shock in his eyes when he'd crumpled to the ground in pain, blood spurting from his nose. Her dad hadn't messed around when he'd taught his daughters self-defense.

Ever since then, she and Peeta had been unofficial enemies. Their proverbial warfare had consisted of mainly death glares, snide remarks in passing and the occasional middle finger if they ever found themselves at the same social events.

Like now. Gale hadn't warned her Peeta would be attending his party—he swore he hadn't known—and the moment he'd walked through the door, for once Katniss had been too stunned to react accordingly beyond a stupidly wide-eyed stare. Peeta had narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, as if he were waiting for her to sneer or maybe throw her drink at him, but then Rye had handed him a drink, and Peeta was all toothy smiles and careless laughs again, effectively ignoring her for the rest of the night.

Which only made her hate him more. Why did he get to enjoy his night while she stewed in aggravation at his unwanted proximity?

"Well, I dunno, Catnip—" It was okay for Gale to call her that; his nickname for her wasn't nearly as insulting as Peeta's had been, "—I know you hate him and all, but the few times I've talked to him, he's seemed cool enough to me."

She gawked at him; he just smiled cheekily. "Traitor," she hissed, but he snickered as he grabbed some more beer from the fridge.

"This is seriously some bizarre hate crush you have on this kid—you sure you don't secretly want to fuck him?"

Her jaw dropped, and she sputtered incoherently at the absurdity of his suggestion, unable to think of a fast enough reply to refute it. "What—you—how dare you—I...fuck you!" she finally spat, her face flaming. Gale laughed boisterously, holding his hands up.

"I'm just fucking with you. But, look, maybe it's time you two bury the hatchet, yeah?" he said harmlessly, still smiling, but before she could snap at him, his friend Bristel called to him from the living room. "Sorry, my prowess is needed on the beer pong table. Try to have fun, okay? Johanna should be here soon..."

And then he breezed past her, a few cans of beer in his hands. Katniss stared after him, startled when someone pushed past her to get into the kitchen. She mumbled an apology and tried to disappear into the wall. She hated parties; actually, she hated people. If it was possible to throw a party without inviting people, she would be cool with that.

And she couldn't even get drunk; the Solo cup in her hand was full of water. She couldn't stand the taste of beer, and Gale didn't have any liquor. He and Rye weren't 21 yet, so neither could go to a liquor store. Gale did look old enough, however, to purchase beer from the local convenience store without getting carded by the attendant. She supposed some of their friends might bring liquor for themselves, but she wasn't about to ask someone she didn't know if she could drink their alcohol.

With a sigh, she took a large gulp of her water, her eyes scanning the living room—and landing on Peeta again. He was listening intently to the brunette, who waved her hands animatedly as she chattered, but he looked over at her then, and she stiffened, her cup frozen at her mouth. He arched an eyebrow—was that a challenge of some sort? Her neck flushed in anger as she recalled Gale's words ( _"You sure you don't want to fuck him?"_ ), and she lowered her drink. Then she smiled sweetly—and flipped him off.

Peeta's eyebrow quirked, but his lips just spread into that familiar smug smirk of his before he turned his attention back to the chatty brunette.

No, she definitely did  _not_  want to fuck Peeta Mellark.

* * *

Katniss stared at Gale like he was speaking a foreign language. He might as well have been, as badly as he was slurring. At her silence, he gave her a pleading, glassy-eyed look. "Pleeease, Catnip?"

His question finally registered in her brain, and she shook her head vehemently. "No, absolutely not, no fucking way am I driving him home."

Gale sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "C'mon, yer the only sober one...and he's too drunk to drive himself, and Rye's already pukin'."

She shrugged, folding her arms over her chest. "Not my problem."

Pouting, Gale rubbed his bleary eyes. "You won't even hafta talk to him; he's out of it. He'll probably jus' pass out in your car or sumptin."

"Why can't he just stay here?" she asked, trying not to whine. Gale shrugged.

"He's gotta work at the bakery early or sumptin, I dunno. Annnnd I'm pretty shure Rye'll be too drunk to drive in the morning still." Her hard expression didn't change, so he grabbed her arms. "C'mon, Catnip, yer goin' that direction anyway, iss like...not even outta yer way. Jus' do it fer me, please? Please?"

She gritted her teeth, craning her neck back from his face. His breath reeked of booze; it made her stomach churn. "Fine!" she snapped, wrenching her arms from his grasp. Gale nearly toppled over, catching himself on the wall. "You owe me, Hawthorne!"

Marching over to the couch where Peeta was passed out, Katniss kicked at his leg. He jerked awake and stared at her in confusion. "Get your ass up, Mellark!" she barked, ignoring the groans from other passed-out partygoers. When he didn't move fast enough, she grabbed his arm to try to yank him up, but she was unprepared for how heavy he was with his stupid wrestling physique. She lost her balance and fell on top of him, mumbling obscenities. In her attempts to push herself up right, she accidentally grazed his crotch. They both froze, their eyes meeting mere inches from each other. Then he smirked.

"I had no idea you felt that way about me, Katniss," he slurred huskily. Her face flushed in rage and embarrassment, and she finally scrambled off of him.

"Nope, not doing it," she announced, turning on her heel. "He can get his own stupid ass home. I don't care."

She heard Peeta clamber to his feet, scurrying after her. "Wait, wait, I'm coming!" Gale looked at her imploringly as she passed him, and she faltered. Then she huffed in defeat.

"Okay, but if he pukes in my car, you're paying to have it detailed!" she threatened, and he just nodded, barely suppressing a grin. Once she felt Peeta at her back, she crossed to the door and threw it open. "Let's go, Mellark," she bit out, not even bothering to make sure he followed her.

* * *

Peeta was a chatty drunk, she soon learned.

She spent most of the drive home working out exactly how Gale could pay her back while Peeta rambled away in her front seat; she'd tried to coax him into the back seat so he could lie down and she wouldn't have to look at him, but he'd just slid into the passenger side, shouting "Shotgun!" and cackling at his own stupid joke.

He was now babbling about some wrestling match in which he'd barely squeaked out a win, his forehead leaning against the car window, and she tightened her hands on the steering wheel.  _Free Grand Slams every Sunday from Denny's for the rest of the year_ , she chanted in her head repeatedly to calm her rising blood pressure; that was what she'd decided Gale's repayment would be for this favor. Really, she thought she deserved two years' worth of Grand Slams, but she knew Gale was cheap.

"Oh, man, have you written that paper for English yet?" Peeta asked suddenly, his head jerking up. "Never mind, of course you have."

She scowled. "What is that supposed to mean,  _of course I have_?" That she was some loser with no life so she'd already finished a paper nearly a week before it was due? Okay, so, yeah, what if she had? She wasn't a loser. She just didn't like to procrastinate.

Peeta's eyes widened at her tone. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant—well, you're smart. You always do your work on time."

Katniss nearly swerved off the road as she shot him an incredulous look. Was that a  _compliment_? From Peeta fucking Mellark? "What's your game?" she demanded, turning her eyes back to the road.

He sighed. "No game, I swear." His forehead thudded against the window again. "I haven't even picked a subject yet. Like, I have no idea what my thesis is going to be..."

She just frowned, her eyes focused on the road as Peeta bounced from topic to topic. She hadn't heard him talk this much in...well, ever. And without some rude, underhanded comment directed at her? Just what the hell was going on?

The drive home wasn't long, about 20 minutes, and she stayed mostly quiet, only responding when prodded incessantly. She actually had no idea where Peeta lived, but when she'd first asked him where to go when she got on the highway, he'd just vaguely replied, "You're going in the right direction; you're fine." When she tried to ask after that, he'd talk over her or ignore her question and turn the conversation to something else. She at least knew where the bakery was, so she headed there, hoping Peeta's family lived nearby. She wasn't opposed to just dumping him at the curb in front of the bakery either—Gale said he had to work early, anyway.

"—Mom was  _so_  pissed; it was hilarious. Rye was grounded for a month—"

"Peeta!" she finally yelled, cutting him off. "Where the fuck do you live?! I'm trying to get you home!"

He was silent for a moment before he sighed quietly. "Okay, just take a right up here. It's off of 12th."

The seriousness of his voice rattled her, and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she made the turn. He just stared out the windshield, his eyes clear but troubled, pointing out the directions to her. When she finally pulled up in front of his house, she put her car in park and twisted in her seat to look at him. "What's the deal?" she asked skeptically, and he lifted his eyebrows.

"What?"

She regarded him silently, searching his face. Maybe they hated each other, but, regardless, she had become well acquainted with him over the years. He was acting weird. Something was off, something... Then her eyes narrowed. "You're not even drunk!" she accused, and his eyes widened. He suddenly looked very nervous.

"Um...no, I guess not," he admitted, his hands fidgeting in his lap.

Her mouth parted in disbelief. "Then why the hell did I drive you home?" she wondered, and he shrugged, finally flashing her a small smile.

"Well, you were going this way, anyway... Is it really that big of a deal?"

She scowled. "Yes, it is—I don't like you!"

He flinched. "Oh, yeah," he said softly. Wait—why did he sound so defeated?

"You don't like me either," she said stubbornly.

"Right," he agreed, but his voice lacked the conviction. Now she was really confused—and that made her feel even more defensive.

"Okay, I'm not crazy, you know—you called me Cat Piss in sixth grade, and I punched you, and we've barely been able to look at each other without spitting in each other's faces for the past, like, seven years. I'm not just making this up!"

He pursed his mouth into a frown, tracing the seam of the window and the car door with his fingernail. "No, I know. I didn't say you were."

"Then why are you acting like you want to be my friend?"

He shrugged. "Maybe 'cuz I do?"

She was stunned silent for a long moment, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. He wanted to be her _friend_? She squinted as she surveyed him. If he didn't sound so  _sober_ , she'd be inclined to think he was blitzed out of his mind. "I don't understand... Were you just  _acting_  drunk at the party?"

He looked sheepish this time. "Um...well, I did have a little bit to drink, but...yeah, I guess I was."

Shaking her head, she turned back to face out the windshield. "I am so confused..."

"Is it so weird that someone would want to be your friend?" he asked rhetorically, but she answered, anyway.

"Yes, when that someone is  _you_!" she exclaimed, and he just shrugged again, smiling. She looked back at him, narrowing her eyes. "Why? Why do you want to be my friend?"

Was she imagining it, or was he blushing? "Well...maybe 'friend' isn't the right word for it..."

"Huh?" she asked stupidly, but he didn't answer right away. His face only flushed redder, and he seemed to be warring internally with himself. She pressed further. "What do you mean?" There was an edge to her voice, but she wasn't sure it was anger. Panic, maybe. Or hysteria. Her tone only made him more tight-lipped, which further rattled her. "Answer the question!"

"Er—I don't—I just—I mean-"

"Spit it out, Mellark!"

"I just wanna know what you taste like!" he blurted angrily, the words slipping out before he could stop them. She jerked back like he had slapped her in the face, blinking mutely at him. She had never seen his face so red before, his eyes so wide; he groaned to himself, cursing under his breath. "Shit, I can't believe—maybe I am drunk..."

She just blinked some more. "What I  _taste_ —like, you want to  _kiss_  me?" Her own cheeks flooded with warmth as she spoke, and she lingered somewhere between confusion and embarrassment and—intrigue?

Peeta didn't speak for a moment, staring out the car window. "...We could start there, sure," he finally muttered, his cheeks never quite losing their blush.

Everything seemed to click at once, and her head snapped around to face forward, a squeak of surprise sticking in her throat. She stared out the windshield, watching the bugs dance in the light of her head beams. She could feel Peeta's stare boring into her temple now, but she couldn't look at him yet.  _Taste_  her? Where had this come from?

And why didn't it revolt her like it should?

 _That_ was an interesting revelation.

Of course,  _now_ she understood what he meant about "tasting" her. She might have been a virgin, but she wasn't completely clueless. She'd seen some softcore porn, read a lot of cheesy harlequin novels—hey, she was really curious about sex, okay. And she was a robust, sexually viable 17-year-old; she was horny a lot of the time. The vibrator Johanna had taken her to buy when she'd found out she was a virgin got a lot of use.

She hadn't really thought about a guy going down on her before, though. It seemed like a very intimate act, and she wasn't sure she was all that comfortable with the idea of someone's face in her crotch. When she touched herself, she only really thought about having her clitoris stimulated and the vague impression of a faceless man's penis moving in and out of her. That was enough to get her off. Although...that oral sex scene in "Blue Valentine" was pretty damn hot; she had replayed that scene many times on her computer in the comfort of her room.

She suddenly found herself wondering how good Peeta was at oral sex. He had a mouth that could spin gold; she'd seen him speak in enough classes over the years to know this about him. Would that translate well between her thighs? Would she enjoy it?

And why the  _hell_  was she entertaining the thought at all?! She huffed to herself, tightening her fists on the steering wheel. She finally glanced at Peeta, who was still watching her expectantly.

She had never seen him look so unsure before. Without the smug smirk and the shadow of disdain hooding his eyes, he was quite...not  _un_ attractive. Okay, so his eyes were an impossible blue and his hair so golden and curled, he looked like a freakin' cartoon character, but...the slope of his nose called for her fingers to trace it, and his crooked smile made his pink lips look that much fuller.

And kissable. So, so kissable.

"Katniss?" he finally pressed, bringing her gaze back to his eyes. "Look—do you want me to just get out of the car already? I get it, like, we can just go back to despising each other from afar if that's what you want—"

"Taste me," she interrupted, but her eyes widened at her choice of words, and she backtracked immediately, "I mean, kiss me! Um, kiss me, if that's what you want."

He was hardly breathing as he stared at her. "Seriously? I can? I mean, you want me to?"

She was loathe to admit she did. "I'm...curious, I suppose."

"And here? Like, right here, in your car?"

She gave him an exasperated look, finally prying her hands off the steering wheel. "You don't need to lay me down in a bed of roses or some shit. It's just a kiss, Mellark."

Peeta glowered, running a hand through his hair nervously. He glanced out the window, then back at her, unbuckling his seat belt and angling his body in the passenger seat so he could face her. She carefully did the same, her heart starting to beat wildly. This wasn't her first kiss, at least. She wasn't sure she could handle it if Peeta fucking Mellark ended up being her first kiss. No, that honor had gone to Darius Schobotsky in ninth grade at a stupid homecoming dance Madge had dragged her to. She'd thought he was cute, and he was nice enough. The kiss was okay, she guessed. Nothing special. He didn't seem like he knew what he was doing.

Then again, neither had she.

She hoped Peeta knew what he was doing, at least.

He leaned toward her, but she stayed perfectly still, watching his mouth as it neared her face. He stopped suddenly, and her eyes darted up to meet his. "Okay, could you like...lean forward some? Meet me halfway? There's a console in the way, and I can't exactly crawl over it."

Rolling her eyes, she blew some hair out of her face and unfastened her seat belt; she sat forward, bracing her hands on the console. "Well, come on then," she said, trying for blasé and nonchalant, hoping it masked her nerves. He nodded, almost to himself, then his face was in front of hers again, the movement so fast, it startled her. Her eyes were still wide open when he pressed his lips to hers, his hand cupping her cheek. She stared at his closed eyelids, annoyance stirring in her chest that he hadn't even warned her, hadn't given her just a second to brace herself for the touch of his mouth.

She felt his tongue pressing at the seam of her mouth, licking at her bottom lip as if he was asking permission to enter; she was so put off by the wet sensation, she almost clenched her jaw to deny him—but then his thumb smoothed over her cheekbone gently, and the gesture was so tender, especially for someone like him, she found her lips parting despite herself.

Once his tongue touched hers, her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into the kiss. It was awkward at first—she wasn't sure how to move her tongue, if she should reciprocate his movements, but she finally stopped thinking and just let him do all the work. He seemed more than happy to. His tongue explored her mouth eagerly, massaging her tongue, licking over her teeth, stroking the roof of her mouth.

This was a lot more involved than she'd thought it would be, she realized; she didn't know if kissing was always like this, or if Peeta was just that thorough. Darius' tongue had just kind...sat in her mouth like a dead fish or something. She tried to pay attention to other things about him: how he tasted like shitty beer, how the barest hint of a stubble on his upper lip scraped against her lips, how his nose kept bumping against hers, forcing her to tilt her head in different angles so she could breathe fully.

But gradually, all she could feel and taste was his tongue, the slippery feel of it filling her mouth and coaxing hers into his own; she was heady and lost, chasing after his tongue when he would retract it. He nipped and sucked on her lips, worrying them between his teeth, wetting them more with his tongue.

There was more saliva in her mouth than she was expecting, and their tongues and lips made a lot of noise—but she found they weren't...completely unappealing sounds.

When he finally pulled away, they were both panting heavily, their warm breath fanning over each other's faces. Her lips felt so wet, she had to pull back to wipe them off. She blushed when she realized that wasn't the only place she was wet. Shit.

She tried to shift discreetly, but he was watching her like a hawk. "Well?" he needled, his blue eyes still so blue in the darkness of her idling car. She bristled at his demand. What did he want her to say? Did he want her to stroke his ego,  _Oh, that was amazing, Peeta; no one's ever kissed me like that_? And maybe no one had, but for all she knew, that had more to do with her small sampling size than with Peeta Mellark being some boy wonder at kissing. She'd bet Gale was a good kisser—not that she would know, though it wasn't for lack of some early teenage crushing. Peeta Mellark did not corner the market on great kisses.

She entertained the idea of telling him as much, opening her mouth to do so, when her eyes dropped to his lap. And she promptly looked away, her mouth clamping shut. Shit. He had a huge boner. Not that his penis was necessarily huge—she had no idea—but his erection was huge relative to the fact that she hadn't expected it to be there  _at all_. So compared to nothing, it was huge, she guessed.

She didn't know if she was embarrassed for him or...just really, really flattered. If he was aware of his own arousal or her observation of it, he didn't acknowledge it. Man, she was suddenly very glad she didn't have a penis.

Licking her lips hesitantly, Katniss kept her eyes trained over his shoulder. "I guess that was...interesting."

He frowned and then scoffed, slumping back against his seat. "Interesting..." Here, he finally made an attempt to adjust his bulge, but he still seemed mostly unconcerned with her seeing him do it.

The words slipped out before she could think about them. "Did you get enough of a taste?"

His face flushed, but he regarded her curiously. He didn't respond right away, and she could see the myriad of reactions flashing through his eyes. Finally, he settled on amusement, his brow furrowed, the corners of his mouth only slightly curled in humor. "What if I said no?"

After a tense, silent moment, she flicked the headlights off and cut her car's engine, slowly pulling the keys out of the ignition. Peeta just stared at her dumbly when she looked at him. She raised her eyebrows. "Well? I know I said you didn't have to lay me down in roses, but I'm still not about to let you do it in my car."

He scrambled out of her car so fast, she didn't even realize he was gone until her passenger side door slammed shut. Grabbing her purse, she dropped her keys in it and slid out of her car. She made sure it was locked before she circled around her car to where Peeta stood on the walkway, running his hand through his hair nervously. She felt oddly calm as she followed him into his house, waiting momentarily on the front step while he fumbled with the lock. They didn't speak as he led her through the dark living room up the stairs to his bedroom. Once inside, he flipped on a bedside lamp and hurriedly cleared things off his bed, kicking them underneath when they dropped to the floor. He looked back at her sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's a mess. I wasn't really expecting...you know, company."

She shrugged, setting her purse down near the nightstand; her room looked worse. They stared at each other awkwardly, a couple minutes passing by before Peeta licked his lips, stepping closer. "So, should I...kiss you again before we...?"

Katniss frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm going to let you do this because I admit that I'm curious, since you want to do it so badly and all. But I just wanna know—why me? I mean, how do you go from hating me to wanting to—to—to eat me out?"

They both blushed furiously at the bluntness of her words, hearing it out loud for the first time that night. Well, that's what was going to happen, right? Why beat around the bush (no pun intended)?

Peeta cleared his throat, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I mean...I didn't ever really hate you—that's kind of strong, even though you  _did_  punch me in the face that one time—but I don't know..." His mouth puckered, his nose scrunching, as he looked at her. "Okay, so, don't kill me, but...you remember in our tenth grade gym class, you used to...uh, you wore these little red shorts? Like, they were really short. And, well...one day we were doing stretches—you know, the one where you sit and spread your legs out and then touch your toes?" He mimed the movement with his arms, and she nodded suspiciously. He grinned sheepishly. "Well, I kinda saw your, you know...your junk."

Her eyes widened in horror. " _What_?"

He hastened to add, "I mean, not all of it! Just the side a little bit."

She punched him in the arm, hard, and he flinched in pain. "You fucking pervert!" she hissed, punching him again for good measure.

"Ow! Stop!" he cried, holding his hands up to deflect any more hits. "I'm sorry, but it's not like I meant to look! Er, I mean, I guess I did, but I didn't know I'd see your vagina!"

"You didn't see my vagina. You saw my vulva," she corrected, still seething. He looked at her in confusion. "You can't see my vagina. That's inside."

He rolled his eyes, rubbing his sore arm. "Whatever. Look, you asked. I'm just trying to be honest. I was a horny 16-year-old. And you have nice legs."

She snorted, deciding to ignore his compliment because it embarrassed her. "So you see part of my junk a couple years ago, and what, you were so mesmerized, you've been fantasizing about it ever since?"

He looked at her, his face serious. "Well, yeah."

"Oh." That was kind of weird. Nice, but weird. Averting her eyes, she waved her arms around the room. "Okay. Well. How do we do this? What's your M.O.?" she asked to deflect some of the awkwardness of his admission, shrugging her jacket off.

"Uh...I don't have one, I guess." He scratched the back of his head, ducking her gaze when she turned it on him.

"What? I thought you'd done this before!"

He shrugged. "Never said I had. I mean, I've had sex a few times, but...not this. Seen a lot of porn, though."

Once again, she was speechless. Why would he ever want her to be the first girl he ever tried this with?

Oh.

"Wait a minute—are you just using me for practice so you can perfect your cunnilingus skills and then woo some other chick with them?!" she snapped. To his credit, he seemed absolutely scandalized by her suggestion.

"What? No! Jesus Christ, Katniss, I know you don't think that highly of me, but cut me some slack," he said, his voice tight. "I just confess that I've been thinking about doing— _that_ —to you since the tenth grade, and your first thought is that I wanna use you so I can bang another chick?"

She deflated, her anger leaving her rapidly. Damn. He really liked her. Or at least, he liked her vagina. Vulva. Whatever. "Sorry, I guess," she offered begrudgingly. "We haven't exactly had the best track record, you know. Sorry if I'm having a little trouble believing you actually like something about me."

He plopped down on his bed with a sigh. "Are we going to keep rehashing this or can we start maybe?"

She sat down next to him, albeit stiffly. "Well, I asked you how you wanted to do this..."

He looked at her abruptly, angling his body toward hers. "Can I kiss you again?" She nodded, and he only hesitated briefly before his hand came up to slide around her neck, tugging her face toward his. His lips parted hers, and then his tongue was in her mouth. He kissed her more urgently this time—eager to get down to business, probably.

Her head hit the pillow before she realized he was leaning her backward. She was twisted underneath him on the bed awkwardly while he kissed her, his hand trailing down her neck to her chest. When she felt his fingers grazing her breast, she peeked her eyes open to glimpse the hand cupping her left breast. Katniss shifted underneath him, turning her head some to break the kiss and push on his shoulder. "Can you—"

He jerked his hand back, his eyes large. "Shit, sorry! Was that too presumptuous of me?" he whispered.

She wrinkled her nose. "No, can you sit up a little? This is an uncomfortable position for me..."

"Oh!" He lifted his weight off her some so she could lift her legs up onto the bed and stretch out on her back. He lay down beside her once she was settled, rolling back on top of her. He placed his hand on the pillow next to her head—far away from her breasts this time. "Good?"

She nodded, but his mouth was on hers already. Their tongues slid against each other fervently, searchingly, and she felt an ache between her thighs with every stroke. Eventually, his hand drifted back to her breast to squeeze it through her shirt. His thumb found her hardened nipple through her bra, and he pressed down on it, rubbing circular patterns around it. That felt surprisingly good. Well, not too surprising; it felt about as equally as good as when she did it to herself. She could feel his erection hard against her thigh; she had a sudden urge to touch it, but she refrained. That wasn't part of the deal.

He pulled back breathlessly after a few minutes, his hand still massaging her breast. "Are you, ah...you know...are you wet?" He blushed fiercely at his question, and she thought that, for someone so fixated on her vagina, he sure was squeamish.

"Yes, I think I am sufficiently aroused," she said dryly. He started to scowl until the full weight of her words hit him, and he smirked instead, moving his hands down to the waistband of her pants. He unfastened the button, teasingly plucking at the zipper.

"Can I—"

"Peeta," she snapped, exasperated, and slapped his hands away, hurriedly unzipping her pants herself. "I already said yes. You don't have to stop at every step to ask." He sighed and leaned back on his elbow, watching as she wiggled out of her jeans and kicked them off her legs.

"Your attitude is really helping to set the mood here..." he muttered, and she just shot him a nasty glare once she'd sent her pants flying off the edge of the bed.

"I really don't have to do this, you know. I have a vibrator at home that works perfectly fine."

He blinked, his face going slack. "...You use a vibrator?" There was awe in his voice, which cracked on the last word. Maybe she should have been more reticent to admit that out loud. She guessed girls weren't allowed to talk about those kind of things, especially not to guys they didn't even like who were currently trying to get into their pants.

"Well, we all have to get off somehow," she mumbled, suddenly feeling very awkward lying beside him so...pantless.

"Yeah, I just...never would have pictured that," he replied distractedly, sliding his hand down her ribcage; he pushed her shirt up to uncover her stomach some, his eyes glued to her black boy shorts.

"You mean, you've been thinking about putting your mouth on my vagina, but you haven't wondered about the things I might do to it myself?" she asked snidely, but he was unfazed by her tone.

"Vulva, you said it was your vulva," he corrected, watching his hand as he trailed it down her hip to her thigh. She cringed, remembering how she hadn't shaved above her knees in a week or so because the weather was cooling and she hadn't really planned on anyone touching her. He didn't seem to mind, though, as he danced his fingers from the crease of her thigh down to her kneecap and back.

And why should she care if he did, anyway? She wasn't trying to impress him. She didn't even like him. The dampness of her panties had nothing to do with  _liking_ him. It was just a natural bodily reaction.

Peeta licked his lips, his palm resting on her pelvis; his thumb traced the elastic waistband delicately. He opened his mouth but seemed to think better of whatever he was going to say because he looked at her then, a determined glint in his eye. "I'm going to...take off your underwear...now?" There was a questioning lilt in his voice.

Well, he tried, at least. She just raised her eyebrows to acknowledge his statement/request. He pushed up onto his knees and moved between her legs, forcing her to spread them wider. Suddenly, she was anxious, unnerved by how intensely he was eyeing her crotch. "Um, so, full disclosure: I haven't showered since this morning...and I haven't really done any—maintenance down there for a few weeks, soooo..."

Her face felt hot, but he only spared her a brief glance. "That's fine," he responded absently, slipping his fingers under the sides of her panties to tug them down. She couldn't look at his face as he pulled her underwear down her legs, effectively baring her most intimate parts to him. And then he just stared.

Oh, God, he was  _staring_.

"Okay, look, I never said it was anything spectacular or anything. I'm not sure what you were expecting—"

"Katniss. Shut up."

His tone was so commanding, she actually listened; she was too stunned to feel the immediate outrage at his words, and then she jerked compulsively when he slid his fingers through her folds. She gaped at him as he lifted his hand away, rubbing the stickiness of her arousal around on his fingers curiously. Then he kneeled between her legs to align his face with her middle so abruptly, she had to quash the sudden urge to squirm away in discomfort. She felt his hot breath first, like he was panting heavily; he gave a deep sigh, once, twice—was he  _smelling_  her?

This was weird; this was too weird for her. She'd just opened her mouth to protest, to call this off, no, thank you, actually, she really wasn't that curious about this after all, when he spread her folds open and dragged the flat of his tongue through them up to her clitoris.

"Oh!" she squeaked on a high, embarrassing gasp. Her eyes had screwed themselves shut, so when she felt him pause, she could only guess that he was staring at her. But then he did it again, and again, and when he dipped his tongue inside her, she had to slap a hand over her mouth to muffle her moan. It was a bizarre sensation, his tongue thrusting in and out of her, probing her walls, and she didn't know if she liked it, but it made her clit throb all the same. Her thighs quivered, clenched tightly around his head; he had to stop to pry them apart, trying to pin them open with his arms. His elbow dug painfully into her flesh, but she was too entranced by the movements of his tongue to scold him. She was acclimating to the sensation; it was starting to feel good...really good.

It wasn't enough, though. He wasn't paying any attention to where she wanted stimulation the most. "Ah," she gasped, reaching down to tap his head. His mouth stilled, his eyes darting up to connect with hers, curious. It was kind of comical, really, just his eyes peering up at her, his nose nestled in her dark curls. "Could you, uh, maybe do something with my clitoris?"

His brow furrowed, and he pulled his face away some to look down. His lips and chin glistened. His fingers started poking and prodding through her folds until—"There?" he asked, and she whined, nodding her head. Peeta shifted his position to get his arm wrapped around her leg, and then his thumb was back on her clit, stroking it lightly as he returned his mouth to her slit, his tongue flicking through the wetness.

His steady ministrations on her clit felt good—but it was a teasing feeling that did nothing to abate the building pressure in her core. "Could you—" Katniss covered his hand with hers, pressing down, "—harder?"

He obliged, increasing the pressure of his thumb, in hard, sweeping strokes over her clitoris, and she had to fist the sheets around her to steady herself. She tried to fight the moans bubbling in her throat, still reluctant to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was doing something right, but it was impossible; the groans started low in her chest, every other one catching in her throat, blocking out the wet sounds of his mouth moving over her.

The pleasure was there all at once, coiling tight, fast, and she clamped a hand over her mouth because his name was there, too, slipping from her tongue, and she wasn't going to say it, she wouldn't, she couldn't give him the satisfaction, she— "Peeta!" she gasped, her hand falling away to grasp the sheets again, her body trembling as her orgasm tightened every muscle in her body, and then she was falling, crashing, the pleasure coursing through her body, pooling between her thighs.

She didn't even realize her thighs were clenched around his head again until he pushed them apart, sitting up on his hands and knees. Her eyes were closed as she panted, trying to calm her racing heart and ragged breathing. But when she heard the sound of a zipper, her body tensed, and she opened her eyes. Peeta was crouched over her, unfastening his pants. He looked at her then, as if he could sense her stare. "Was that good?" he asked, nodding to her groin.

"Yeah..." she said slowly, her gaze still trained on whatever he was doing below his own waist; one hand braced himself against the mattress, the other parting his fly and pushing his underwear down. What was he _doing_?

"I just need to—do you mind if I—?" he asked haltingly, his hand wrapping around his length to pull it out. She just watched dumbly as he began to stroke himself, the head of his penis staring at her so...angrily. She had never seen a penis live and in person before. It was kind of weird, and, there he was, just...jacking it right in front of her, like, no big deal. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to stop him, though, just watched his large hand pump the shaft deftly, his palm tugging the flesh up to his head. His breathing was shaky, his grunts quiet, and his face was screwed up with the ecstasy and the strain.

And then his hips jerked, his wrist flicking with a few erratic strokes. She gasped in surprise, caught off guard when his semen shot across her stomach. "What—hey!" she cried, but Peeta was lost in his own world as his dick pulsed in his hand, the last of his cum dribbling down the head. Then he groaned and pushed her leg out of the way so he could collapse on the bed beside her. She gawked at him, knocked momentarily speechless, before she was able to gather her bearings. "Hello! You just fucking— _jizzed_  on me!"

"Sorry," he gasped, but he didn't sound that sorry. His softening dick was still just hanging out—and there was still a puddle of semen on her.

"Well, get it off me!" she demanded indignantly.

"Christ, it's just semen, not acid," he griped, pushing himself on his elbows to grab some tissues from his nightstand.

"I still don't want it on me," she muttered, looking at the off-white fluid pooling around her belly button. "Gross," she whispered, but then she touched a finger to the semen, skating across the surface of the puddle. It was warm and slippery.

Peeta rolled back toward her and brushed her hand out of the way to wipe her off. "Sorry, just got a little...turned on." He flashed her a weak, sheepish smile then tossed the tissues into the waste bin. He didn't bother to pick them up when he missed, instead flopping back down on his back.

Katniss snorted, but she was still conscious of the pleasant pulsations between her thighs. "And do you make this a habit—jerking off on top of a girl and shooting your wad all over her?"

Bright red spots had appeared on his cheeks beneath his eyes, and he finally tucked himself back into his pants. "Not exactly. I told you I haven't gone down on a chick before," he grumbled, tugging his zipper up. She took in the sight of him, the flush of his face, the slickness that still coated the skin around his mouth, the rise and fall of his chest as he struggled for his breath. She was tempted to ask him how he liked it, tasting her, but she couldn't seem to force the question out.

Instead, she found herself saying something completely different. "If you were so horny, you could have just said something. I would've let you have sex with me."

He looked at her sharply. "What?" he breathed, his eyes wide.

She wasn't sure where the thought had come from—but she realized she meant it. What was the big deal? She didn't have any special attachment to her virginity. She hadn't had sex yet, not because she particularly cared about safeguarding it; she just hadn't cared enough to actively try to lose it before this point.

"Really?" Peeta continued, his voice barely a whisper, like he didn't dare hope. She shrugged.

"Yeah, why not?"

His eyes sparkled with excitement. But then he frowned. "Damn, I wish you had said something sooner."

Puzzled, she looked pointedly at his dick. "What, can't you get it up again?"

He snorted. "It takes a little longer than that, sweetheart."

Sighing, she tugged her shirt back down and sat up on her elbows. "Well, I guess I can get dressed then."

Peeta sat up abruptly, shooting his hand out to stop her. "Wait! Uh...I mean, I don't think it would take  _too_ long for me to, you know, get hard again. Maybe if I could play with your breasts some?" he suggested casually, his gaze dropping to her chest.

She pursed her mouth thoughtfully, watching his face. His chin still looked slightly sticky, and he licked his lips unconsciously. For some reason, the idea of him seeing and touching her breasts made her more nervous than what he'd already done. Which was probably ludicrous. Katniss sat up fully, pressing her legs together to help conceal herself. She pulled her shirt off over her head, glancing at him when she dropped it to her lap. He got the hint and sat up, tugging his own shirt off. His skin was pale but lightly flushed from exertion. His shoulders were even more obnoxiously broad unclothed. His torso was hard and nicely taut from his wrestling regimen.

She kind of hated him for it.

Forcing her eyes forward, she slowly reached behind her back to unhook her bra. When it released, she shyly let it slide down her shoulders, hesitant to bare her breasts to him. But the fact that he was the one invoking this sort of modesty in her emboldened her with enough defiance to let the bra fall away completely, slipping to the floor with her shirt.

So, there she was: naked in Peeta Mellark's bed. How quickly things change.

"You have condoms, right?" she asked, hoping to jar his hungry gaze from her breasts, but he was undeterred by her question.

"Yup," he replied absently, shifting closer to her, so she lay back down stiffly as he hovered over her. His warm hand cupped one of her breasts, almost reverently, squeezing ever so carefully, experimentally. She saw his pink tongue dart out to lick his lips.

His gaze was too intense; it made her anxious. "I know they're not much; they're kind of small," she blurted then cursed herself mentally for revealing such an insecurity to him. He just gave a small shake of his head.

"Don't care. They're boobs." Then his thumb pressed down on her nipple, rubbing tight circles on it, and she sucked her lip into her mouth. When he pinched it lightly between his fingers, she inhaled sharply, and when he captured the other nipple between his lips, she exhaled on a short gasp. This was a new sensation; she liked it, the wet suction of his mouth around the sensitive bud, his tongue swirling over it. She liked it a lot.

Her moans were mortifyingly loud in the quiet of his room, and he spent such an inordinate amount of time on her breasts and her nipples, she began to wriggle underneath him from the acute distress of the throbbing between her legs. She clenched her thighs together, bucking her hips slightly to relieve the pressure, but it wasn't enough. "Ah," she gasped, unable to keep the whine out of her voice, and her hand threaded through his hair, tugging on his curls. He released her nipple to look at her, wetting his lips. She felt a little sheepish. "Are you, uh, ready yet?" she asked breathlessly, glancing between his face and his crotch, where his pants had started to tent.

He smirked a little. "Almost." But he shifted onto his back and unfastened his jeans again, pushing them down his hips over his erection, which strained against the fabric of his boxer-briefs. Once he had his pants off, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his underwear and slid it down. Her eyes widened when his dick sprang free—it wasn't fully hard yet, she didn't think, but it was still so...pink and veiny. Not the prettiest thing in the world, but...it was thick. Maybe that was good.

"Katniss," he asked hesitantly, kicking the boxer-briefs off his feet. "Do you think you could, um...stroke me—just a little would be fine. I mean, I can do it myself, but I thought I'd ask, in case..."

She regarded his penis critically. Well, if it would move things along... She might as well touch it, since it was going to be inside her and all. "Okay," she said; he looked incredibly pleased with her acquiescence. He rolled onto his side to ruffle through his nightstand drawer; her eyes darted down to his ass, which was nicely shaped, before they fixated on his hands again. She watched as he pulled out a box of condoms and tore one from the others, hurriedly shutting the drawer to turn back to her. Peeta dropped it onto the mattress and climbed between her legs; she brought her knees up reflexively to cradle his hips. Then he just stared at her, raising his eyebrows as he leaned over her.

Oh, right.

Faltering only slightly, she wrapped her small hand around his dick. It felt surprisingly smooth and silky to the touch. He groaned immediately, his hips thrusting into her hand. "Just—just for a minute," he mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed. "Ah...a little tighter, maybe..."

She gripped him harder as she pumped his shaft slowly, trying to remember how he worked himself earlier. He moaned quietly, and she could actually feel him hardening in her hand. Finally, he grunted and stilled her hand, opening his eyes. "Okay, I'm good, I'm good," he gasped, quickly locating the condom again, and he sat back while he fumbled to open it. Watching him pull the condom out, she felt her stomach tense with nerves. He looked bigger than her vibrator, or thicker, at least. It was a little intimidating, but she was determined to keep her face expressionless and free of any fear.

When he positioned himself between her legs, the condom on, bracing himself over her, he looked at with her worry. "Are you ready?"

His concern aggravated her slightly, and she grabbed onto his shoulders, gritting her teeth. "Just do it," she breathed, and then he was there, the head of his penis—no, his  _cock_ , that was sexier, not so clinical—pressing through her folds, parting them as he pushed into her. Her breath hitched; that felt good.

But then he pushed into her farther, his full length sliding in completely, stretching her uncomfortably. She gasped in pain, everything in her tensing and locking against the intrusion, but Peeta moaned loudly, pausing once he was buried to the hilt. "Shit...this is...fuck," he murmured blissfully, and she made a face at the ceiling, blinking against the tears that swelled in the corner of her eyes. This was fucking painful, actually; he was much thicker around than her vibrator. She was not as adequately prepared for this as she'd thought.

"Katniss?" he asked when she'd been quiet too long, shifting his hips back to begin thrusting into her.

She inhaled through her teeth as he moved. "Uh, yeah—this kinda hurts, actually."

He froze above her, pushing away to look at her; his face was filled with alarm. "Hurts? Am I doing something wrong?" Then his blue eyes rounded with horror. "Wait...you're not—have you—you're a virgin?" His voice cracked, and she frowned.

"Well, yeah."

His mouth hung open, opening and closing while his brain struggled to comprehend the situation. "I...I didn't...know. I thought...I mean, you seem so..."

Shaking her head, she lifted her hips to his and actively fought the grimace as discomfort racketed through her again. "Just—keep going, we're already this far."

But he looked shaken now, and the concern still haunted his eyes as he thrust back into her. She bit down on her lip while he moved, slowly, like he was trying to not hurt her, like she was going to break, but she thought she'd almost prefer him to just do it fast and get it over with. Her fingers dug into his shoulder muscles; she listened to his strangled breathing, the moans dying in his throat. It was like he was afraid to express any sort of pleasure or enjoyment on his part.

After a few minutes, he gasped. "I'm sorry, I can't—" His hips jerked against hers roughly a couple times, a soft groan tumbling from his lips. She felt him throbbing inside her and realized he was done; she almost sent up a hallelujah when he pulled out after a minute, crashing face-down to the mattress next to her.

They didn't speak for a moment until Katniss broke the awkward silence. "Well, that sucked."

Peeta groaned loudly into his pillow. "I know." He sat up, propping himself up on his forearms to look at her imploringly. "I'm...sorry. Really sorry. I didn't realize...And then I got nervous...And that sucked. You're right. That was bad."

She wished she could pull a sheet over her or something. She'd felt hot and sticky while he was on top of her, but now her skin was cooling rapidly, making her shiver. And her vagina hurt. A lot.

"Katniss," he started nervously. "Why would you...I mean, with me?"

She shot him a look. "I don't know. It seemed as good a time as any. It's not a big deal, Peeta."

He looked incredulous. "Seriously?"

She couldn't stop the scowl. "And tell me about your first time, Peeta. Were you madly in love with the girl? Did you two make love in a field of flowers and rainbows while angels plucked harps to provide the soundtrack as you came?"

His expression changed to one of chagrin. "Okay, I see your point." He faltered a moment then added, "I exaggerated earlier. I've only done it twice. Before this, I mean. So...uh, that's why I sucked." She just shrugged. She hadn't expected it to be great, honestly.

"If you want to get technical...my vibrator took my virginity first, anyway."

Something between a sigh and a laugh caught in his thrust, and Peeta flipped onto his back, reaching down to pull off the condom. His hand halted on his cock, however. "Oh. Shit. You're, uh, bleeding." She saw the blood on the condom; the sight made her feel queasy. Damn. She didn't do well with blood.

"Uh..." She shifted, feeling the wetness between her thighs. He moved quickly then, rolling the condom off and tying it off clumsily. Peeta slid off the bed, covering his dick with his hand while he trashed the condom and grabbed his boxer-briefs, jamming his legs through them.

"I'll get you a wet rag, hold on," he muttered, quietly slipping out of his bedroom. She sat up on the bed, yanking the sheets out from underneath her so she could shield most of her naked body. He returned after a moment, shutting the door behind him, and he held out a damp washcloth to her. She took it graciously. It was warm, at least.

"Thanks," she murmured, moving her hand under the sheet to the juncture of her thighs. Pressing against her tender flesh, she hissed softly, but she stopped when she realized he was still watching her, his face twisted in a sympathetic grimace. "Well, don't watch me! This is awkward enough."

"Sorry!" He held his hands up and crawled back onto the bed beside her, dutifully keeping his gaze averted. She gingerly cleaned herself off, and when she withdrew her hand, she wrinkled her nose at the smears of blood on the rag. Well, it wasn't as much as she'd thought, at least. Balling it up, she held the washcloth out to him. "Um...?"

He took it from her, handling it delicately as if he was afraid to get any blood on himself; she had to roll her eyes. Looking around his room wildly, he finally just sat the rag on his nightstand. She wasn't sure what to do at this point, and she started to lean over the edge of the bed to grab her clothes when Peeta grabbed her arm, gently pulling her back down to the mattress. She shot him a questioning look, but his eyes were wide and honest.

"You didn't come," he said simply. Well, no shit. He ran a hand through his curls, ruffling them slightly, then he shifted closer to her. "If you want...do you want me to get you off again?"

The thought of anything poking around down there again made her wince, but...she felt frustratingly unsatisfied. Maybe... "Okay," she agreed, edging the sheet off her body. Peeta smiled boyishly, touching his fingers to her cheek to turn her face toward his; his lips met hers in an open-mouthed kiss, his tongue sliding past her lips.

She liked kissing him, she realized, as reluctant as she was to admit it. Small sampling size or not, she enjoyed the way he moved his mouth against hers, the way he molded her tongue with his own like he was working with wet clay. She tensed unintentionally when she felt his hand slip between her thighs, but his fingers only sought her clit; she helped guide him to it, pressing his fingers down over it. "Just—stay there, okay?" she gasped against his mouth as he began to stroke her clit.

He nodded. "Got it," he mumbled before kissing her again. Her fingers found the hair at the back of his neck, scraping through the short curls. His fingers moved slowly at first, gradually quickening as he increased his pressure. Her face fell away from his so she could breathe deeply, reveling in the pleasure that surged through her at his fingertips. His mouth trailed down her neck, leaving a path of wet kisses; his lips fluttered over her clavicle, down her sternum to her breast, where he sucked her nipple into his mouth.

She whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut; she was close, his determined fingers pushing her to the edge quickly, almost sooner than she was prepared for, and she gasped. "I—Peeta, I..." And she came, her body seizing up suddenly, closing around him; her back bowed, her toes curled, and she unconsciously clawed at the back of his neck. She was aware of a sound akin to that of a dying animal falling from her mouth, and if she had any sort of wherewithal in that moment, she might have been embarrassed.

When she could focus her eyes again, her shallow breathing evening out, she blinked her eyes open to look at him. His head was resting on her chest, his eyes watching her intently. He smiled at her, prying his hand free from between her legs, then he set his head down on the pillow next to hers. His nose was nuzzled against her ear, and he slung an arm over her bare waist.

"Thanks," she offered in the silence, and he chuckled.

"'Welcome." He grew quiet, though, then he added, "Sorry your first time sucked."

But she shrugged; she wasn't concerned. "It's fine. There will be other times to make up for it."

She heard and felt his sharp intake of breath. "With me?" he asked timidly, and she stiffened underneath him, surprised by his question. He noticed her hesitation and tightened his arm around her. "Er, never mind. Shit. Don't answer that. I don't know why I asked that. I'm tired, I think."

But it was out there now. Did he want to have more sex with her? She hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Did she want this to be a regular occurrence with Peeta? Only a couple of hours ago she hated his guts. Well, she thought she hated his guts. Maybe he wasn't so bad. Maybe he was tolerable. Maybe she could stand to be around him, voluntarily even—especially if he continued to do those things with his hands and his mouth.

"I, uh...haven't made plans for the other times yet. Obviously. I hadn't even planned this time," she said sleepily, her eyes drooping. She felt extremely relaxed and exhausted now. The drive home was going to be a bitch, even if it was only 10 minutes.

"Yeah, I know," he whispered. He sounded like he was starting to slur. "Think about it, though, maybe?"

She wanted to laugh, but it took too much effort. "Okay...maybe." He didn't say anything more, and she thought she felt him smile against her ear, but then she didn't remember anything at all after that.

* * *

The obnoxious sound of an alarm blaring startled her awake. In the haze of sleep, she was confused by her unfamiliar surroundings and by the weight anchoring her to the bed until she heard a loud, rumbling groan in her ear. Peeta.

He rolled over and slapped a hand down on his alarm clock, thankfully shutting it off. They didn't speak, and she could already feel herself drifting off again until she heard him mutter, "Shit." Then he shot up in bed. She blinked against the grit in her eyes, squinting at him.

"What?"

Rubbing his eyes, he looked down at her. "I, uh...didn't exactly plan for you to sleep over," he explained, his voice gruff and scratchy.

That woke her up. She sat up, already looking for her clothes, when she heard him huff and laugh weakly. "Wait, that didn't come out right. I just meant...I forgot—I didn't think about the fact that I had to be up early for the bakery. And that means my dad is already up, and I don't think either of us really want to do the walk of shame in front of him..."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, shit," she whispered, snatching her bra and shirt off the floor. Sliding out of bed, she hastily put them on and searched the foot of the bed for the rest of her clothes. She tried to move quickly, but the soreness between her legs slowed her steps. It was an uncomfortable ache.

Peeta got up too and quickly dressed, putting on fresh clothes. She looked at him expectantly, jamming her shoes on. "So what the hell do I do? No offense, but I'm not exactly ready to meet your parents like this." She knew Mr. and Mrs. Mellark in passing from the bakery, and his father was nice enough—but she had a feeling his mother would not at all be happy to see her in their house with their son. "Can I just jump out the window or something?" she asked, only half joking. She'd do it, really. Maybe there was a tree nearby she could climb out onto...

Peeta laughed nervously, his eyes shifting around the room. "No, don't do that—wait. Actually. That might work." She arched an eyebrow, and he held up a hand. "No, seriously, I can go down and grab the ladder from the shed. Just—give me a couple minutes, okay? Stay here."

He slipped out the door soundlessly, and she put her jacket on and paced the room anxiously, unsuccessfully trying to smooth down her ratted braid, until she heard noise at the window. Grabbing her purse, she rushed to the window and pushed the curtains aside. She saw the ladder and Peeta below, motioning for her to come down. Unlocking the window, she pushed it open and climbed up onto the window sill. Clutching her purse to her side, she took a deep breath, and then she twisted around and gripped the ladder tightly, finding the rungs with her feet.

Once she was almost to the bottom, Peeta grabbed her by her waist and helped her down the rest of the way. When she turned around in his arms, he smiled shyly at her. "Thanks," she murmured, pushing her purse straps farther up her shoulder. He walked her around to the front of his house to her car. She stopped by the driver side door and dug out her keys, but his hand on her arm stopped her before she could unlock it. She looked up at him.

"This is kind of weird, I know, but...do you want my number? In case you wanna talk or...something?" His mouth quirked on the last word, and she swallowed a giggle. Then she shrugged, fishing out her phone.

"Okay," she agreed, and she typed it into her phone as he recited it for her. When she dropped her phone back into her purse, she looked up him, pursing her mouth uncertainly. "Well...it's been fun...I guess," she said with an awkward laugh, and he grinned, shuffling his feet.

"Yeah. Thanks for...well, thanks." He leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. It was a sweet gesture. But his lips lingered, and then he moved them next to her ear. "By the way...I like the way you taste," he murmured, his breath tickling the hair that had come loose from her braid around the shell of her ear. An involuntary shudder ran down her spine, and she couldn't stop the bizarre laugh that bubbled in her throat.

"Thanks. Okay, bye," she rushed out, grabbing her keys and hastily unlocking her door so she could shut herself inside immediately. Starting her car, she glanced out her window. Peeta was still grinning, his eyebrow cocked in amusement. She held her hand up in a small wave, and he did the same. She pulled away from the curb, driving off the down the street, but she couldn't stop her eyes from finding him in her rearview mirror. He was still standing in the same spot, watching her car disappear. Her stomach flipped in an odd way, an uncomfortable flush igniting her entire face. Damn it.

She definitely hated Peeta Mellark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't originally planned to write another part to this story, but it kind of called to me, so here you go. Huge, huge thanks to kismet4891, who unwittingly helped me with this chapter when I was struggling.

Katniss nearly knocked over the boxes of vibrators when she saw him.

Shit. Even with that stupid backwards baseball cap on, she could recognize him anywhere—it was his shoulders or something. Still so obnoxiously broad. Katniss felt a flicker of annoyance; Peeta had a habit of showing up in places she did not want or expect to see him. But then she remembered where they were, and she snorted in amusement.

Oh, this was too good to pass up.

She made a beeline for him, stopping right behind him where he perused the shelves of porn. "Really, Mellark, you can't download your porn illegally like everybody else?" she deadpanned, and he jumped, cursing under his breath as he threw her a nasty glare over his shoulder.

"No one downloads porn these days, Everdeen; you can watch it online anywhere," he retorted, turning his attention back to the DVDs, trailing his fingers over them.

She snorted, cocking one hip. "Then why are you looking for porn in a sex shop?"

He sighed and plucked a particular DVD from the shelf, finally turning around to face her. "If you must know...sometimes guys just like to have a hard copy. And," he waved the DVD in front of her face, "sex stores have this—gonzo porn."

"And what the hell is that?" she asked, trying to grab the DVD from him, but he jerked it out of her reach.

"It's, like, low-budget amateur porn. It's a little more organic, more real. Less plot, more fucking." He shrugged nonchalantly, and she rolled her eyes.

"God forbid you have to do any thinking," she said dryly. He just smiled.

"When I'm jacking off? No, I'd rather not."

Katniss made a sound of disgust, then surveyed his other hand quizzically. "And what's that?"

He glanced down at his hand; this time, he looked a little sheepish. "Uh, it's lube." At her questioning look, he elaborated, "Well, I don't want to look like a complete creeper, just coming in here for porn. So I buy some lube to make it look like I'm buying it for a, ah, a lady friend."

She wrinkled her nose. "Hate to break it to you, but you still look like a creeper."

Peeta frowned. "And am I supposed to believe you're only in here to distribute literature on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in order to save the rest of us sinners from our wanton ways?"

She stiffened when she remembered her purpose for being in the store, the box in her hand suddenly feeling very heavy and conspicuous. She made an effort to tuck it behind her back, but Peeta's gaze dropped to the item; his eyes widened, and he snatched the box from her hand.

"Holy shit, Katniss—this thing is huge!" he exclaimed, eyeing the vibrator she had picked up. He looked at her in wonder before a cocky smirk spread across his face. "Did my dick ruin you for all normal-size vibrators? It's okay; you can tell me."

Her face flushed in embarrassment and outrage, and she grabbed it back from him. "If by 'ruin,' you mean 'made me want to fuck something I could actually enjoy,' then yes," she snapped.

Her words had no effect on him; that smug smirk stayed fixed in place. "Come on, you don't have to lie. While my moves might have been seriously lacking, we both know size was not an issue."

He had her there. But she was flustered—one, because he'd caught her with a vibrator in her hand and, two, because he'd actually brought up the night they'd had sex. Which had been weeks ago; this was the first time either of them had acknowledged it to each other—or anyone else, as far as she knew. She certainly hadn't told anybody, that was for sure. She had to assume he hadn't either because she hadn't heard any whisperings or jokes about her around school.

Which was why she had kept her mouth shut about it in the first place. Admitting she was attracted to the guy she'd hated since sixth grade was a hard pill to swallow, and she didn't think she could stomach the self-righteous judgment from her peers—especially Gale; he would give her so much shit if he found out, she just knew it.

The Monday after Gale's party, after their night together, she and Peeta had resumed their antagonistic relationship at school as if nothing had happened—though their interactions were less frosty now and a little more...heated.

Although she was loathe to admit it, Katniss had been tempted (many times) to text him and initiate something; the sex itself had left much to be desired, but she couldn't deny she'd gotten a lot of mileage out of her vibrator just thinking about how he'd made her come with his mouth.

Too much mileage, actually. That was why she was here; her old vibrator had broken. She knew she should have listened when Johanna had insisted she spring for something a little more expensive, but she hadn't thought that she would need it or that it would matter—how much was she going to use it, really?

Well, she wouldn't make that mistake again.

"If you must know, my other vibrator broke," she explained quietly, though why she was telling him anything about her masturbatory habits, she had no idea. She wasn't embarrassed, but she probably should have been more reluctant to give him any potential blackmail fodder on her.

But he just looked awed, his eyes round; he gave a low whistle. "Man, you must've...used it a lot then," he mused, then he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. Her gaze dropped to his crotch, which was starting to tent with a boner.

"Jesus, Peeta, get it together," she hissed, ignoring the pulse of desire that throbbed between her own thighs.

He shrugged indifferently, the DVD in his hand shielding the front of his pants. "Sorry, but you're talking to me about masturbating while we're standing in the middle of a sex store—what do you expect?" he asked. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously then. "Wait, you're not even 18 yet—how are you even in here?"

Her eyes bulged, and she shushed him. "Shut up!" she whispered fiercely, surveying the attendant at the register to make sure he hadn't overheard Peeta. Her face was hot when she looked back at him. "Johanna works here; they know me. I'm usually in here with her, so they just assume I'm her age. They never card me. Don't ruin it for me."

He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart."

Huffing, she whirled around and stalked toward the register. She could feel him at her heels, and he hovered behind her while she paid for her vibrator. The cashier gave them a knowing look, and she felt her hackles rise. "We're not together," she blurted.

"Aw, don't be shy, baby," Peeta teased behind her.

Her face purpled, and she hurriedly grabbed her bag from the cashier. Before she bolted out of the store, however, she jabbed her thumb in Peeta's direction. "Don't be fooled. The porn and the lube are just for him."

The door chimed shut behind her once she breezed through it, and she quickly darted toward her car, hoping to get out of there before Peeta could follow her. But she was still digging through her purse for her keys when he caught up to her. "Hey, wait a minute!"

She spared him an exasperated glance over her shoulder, growing increasingly agitated with her elusive keys. "What do you want?"

He leaned against her driver side door, squinting against the setting sun. "You know...you don't have to use that vibrator. I'd hate for you to have to buy another one again so soon," he offered suggestively, a crooked smile on his face.

Katniss made a face and scoffed, pausing only briefly in her search for her keys. "Don't you have some porn to watch, Mellark?"

His smile widened. "You wanna watch it with me?" She shot him an incredulous look, and he just chuckled. He opened his mouth to respond when her hand closed around her keys, and she crowed victoriously, jerking them out. She unlocked her door, but Peeta didn't budge, preventing her from opening her door. "I'm serious, Katniss. What are we doing?"

She gave him a hard look. "I'm trying to get in my car. What are  _you_ doing?"

He spun his bag in his hand idly. "I mean, how long are we going to go on like this, you pretending like you hate me—and me pretending like I don't think about how you taste every hour of the day?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she balked. "Excuse me?" She wasn't sure what she was more shocked by: that he had said it, or how hot it had sounded. Peeta was still smiling at her—but it wasn't cocky or smarmy. It was actually kind of...sweet?

"Come on. Look, if you're not at all interested in me, then okay, I'll accept that. But this is killing me. I love teasing you, don't get me wrong—it's amusing as hell to rile you up." He chuckled at her scowl. "But what I'd love more than anything is to just...spend a little time with you again." Her breath caught in her throat when he leaned closer, his eyebrow quirking slightly. "And, if you want, I'd be more than happy to go down on you again."

She actually inhaled a bit of spit, and she had to cough to clear her windpipes. She hated how flustered she was, so she deflected some of her embarrassment with sarcasm. "Do you do this a lot, Mellark—proposition women outside of sex shops?"

"Just you," he said simply, slumping back against her car door. "And you didn't answer my suggestion with an immediate refusal, so I have to assume you're at least a little interested."

Her mouth parted—but she realized she couldn't protest his point. Fuck. He noticed her hesitation and grinned. She instinctively flinched when he reached his hand out to her, but he just lifted her braid from her shoulder, running it between his fingers; he gave it a gentle tug before letting it go, and she wet her lips, trying not to think about how close his hand was to her breast.

"So, what do you say?" he asked quietly, his face full of hope. She was already leaning into him before she realized it and made herself straighten up, schooling her face back into her all-too-familiar scowl. She didn't want to seem  _too_  earnest.

"Fine," she grunted, her own hand coming up to fidget with her braid. She needed to take control of the situation. "Come to my house tomorrow night around 8. My mom will be at work, so there won't be anyone around." Except for Prim, but, as a moody 13-year-old, she usually holed up in her bedroom all night, anyway.

Peeta looked like he couldn't believe his luck. "Seriously? You want me to come over to your house?"

She rolled her eyes. "I said it, didn't I? Now leave me alone before I change my mind."

Beaming brilliantly, Peeta shocked the hell out of her with what he did next: He ducked his head down to press his lips against hers firmly, his hand briefly cupping her cheek before he pulled away. She stared at him in stunned silence; he was still grinning. "See you tomorrow," he murmured, then he twisted the bill of his hat forward and crossed to his own car. She had to force herself to open her car door and climb inside. Her hand trembled slightly as she inserted her key into the ignition, and she shook her head to clear it before she drove off.

She was  _not_  going to get all jittery over Peeta fucking Mellark.

* * *

As their mother worked a lot of nights at the hospital, and their father had passed away years ago from a pulmonary embolism, Katniss was often in charge of making dinner for herself and Prim. But her sister was particular about what she ate, so most of the time Katniss just made tuna salad or a pot of macaroni and cheese; Prim usually just picked at it anyway, her nose wrinkled in distaste, so what did it matter?

That Saturday night, she made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the both of them. Peeta would be there soon, and she hadn't felt like making anything too involved. Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick text to Prim:  _I made you PB &J. Get your ass down here._

Katniss leaned against the kitchen counter and took a bite of her own sandwich; she startled when the doorbell rang and glanced at the clock. It was only 7:45 p.m. Peeta couldn't be there already, could he? She padded through the kitchen to the foyer to open the front door. Sure enough, Peeta stood on their front step, a nervous grin on his face. "Uh, hey," he greeted, giving her a small wave.

She swallowed her mouthful, frowning slightly. "You're early." He just shrugged, and she snorted. "Eager much?"

"Yes," he said simply. She just rolled her eyes and motioned for him to come in. She led him into the kitchen, trying to scarf down her sandwich—but it was peanut butter, and her mouth was dry. She really needed something to wash it down with. She filled a glass with water and chugged it, then she turned to him and held it out to him in offering. It seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Want anything to drink?"

"Sure," he agreed, taking the cup from her and gulping the rest down. She scowled around her sandwich.

"I didn't say you could drink all of it," she grumbled when he handed her the empty glass, her words muffled by the bite of PB&J.

He laughed quietly. "Dude, it's just water. You can fill it back up." She huffed but did just that.

"I hope you already ate 'cause I'm not feeding you, too," she tossed over her shoulder.

"Then what am I doing here?"

She was confused by his question until she looked at him and caught his wolfish grin. Her jaw dropped, and she kicked at him. "Jesus Christ!" she hissed, and he laughed, dodging her foot. Katniss heard footsteps on the stairs then, and she stiffened. "Stop being a pervert; that's my little sister."

Peeta made a face but clamped his mouth shut just as Prim bounded into the kitchen, pulling up short when she saw him. "Who is this?" she asked curiously, giving him a once-over. Katniss noticed the way her sister's eyes lit up in approval at the sight of him.

"This is Peeta. He's a, uh—a classmate. I mean, um, he's a friend," she stumbled over her words, trying to figure out how to explain him; she surprised herself with the last descriptor. Even Peeta looked shocked, but he managed a hello.

Prim looked at her suspiciously. "And what's he doing here?"

Katniss and Peeta shared a panicked look. "Uh, he's—we're working on a project. For English," Katniss rushed out, looking to him for confirmation. He nodded enthusiastically.

Folding her arms over her chest, Prim smirked. "Yeah, right. On a Saturday? I'm not stupid."

Katniss' eyes widened. "What? No, we just—it's due Monday, so we have to...work on it this weekend," she insisted unconvincingly, trying to will her blush away. Peeta suddenly took a great interest in checking out the kitchen so he wouldn't have to look at either of them.

"I'm 13, Katniss; I know why guys come over to girls' houses on Saturdays, and it's not to work on projects," Prim said snidely. "Does mom know you're having a guy over?"

Katniss' nostrils flared. God, her sister was annoying. She shoved Prim's sandwich at her. "Eat your damn dinner, and leave us alone."

Prim stuck her tongue out, spun around on her heel and dashed back upstairs. At the top, she yelled down, "You better keep it down, or I'm telling mom!" Then she disappeared into her bedroom to dick around on Tumblr for the rest of the night or whatever the hell it is teenagers do these days.

"Man, your sister acts just like my brother," Peeta mumbled, and Katniss, still rattled by Prim's assertions, glanced at him distractedly.

"I thought both your brothers were older."

"Yeah, I know, so it speaks a lot to his maturity," he joked, shoving his hands into his pockets. They fell quiet while she finished her sandwich and sipped some water. She watched him shift from foot to foot anxiously. For some reason, him being nervous put her more at ease. She relaxed and pushed off the counter, walking past him to exit the kitchen.

"Well, my bedroom's upstairs," she said casually, and he followed her, clearing his throat. They didn't speak until they were in her room, and she shut the door behind them. They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before she broke away from his gaze and crossed to her bed, plopping down on it and drawing her legs up. She watched Peeta as he casually surveyed her room, studying her photos and books and posters.

"So, this is your room," he mused out loud, and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, this is my room," she echoed. He faced her with a small grin on his face. "What?"

He shook his head, moving closer. "Just never imagined I'd be in  _Katniss Everdeen's_  bedroom."

"Well, this certainly isn't what I ever imagined, either," she said dryly, folding her legs in front of her. Peeta sat down on the edge of the bed warily, as if he were afraid she would object.

If she were going to object, she never would have invited him over in the first place. She stifled an audible sigh, annoyed with her weakness for this. Damn her horniness. And damn his mouth. And eyes. And hands. And those shoulders.

Damn all of him, actually. How did she go from despising him to craving his touch so quickly?

Blowing some hair out of her face, Katniss noticed his attention was occupied—by her crotch. Her eyes widened, and her hands dropped to cover her groin. "Stop that!" she snapped, tugging on the hems of her sleep shorts, trying to make them longer.

Peeta quickly averted his gaze, his cheeks coloring in embarrassment. "Sorry!" Then he made a face and looked back at her. "Wait, it's not like I haven't seen it before. What's the big deal?"

"I don't want you just— _leering_  at my vagina," she griped, still absently adjusting the crotch of her shorts in an attempt to shield herself from his eyes. Which kept darting to watch the movements of her hands, though he looked to be fighting the urge, at least. He smiled suddenly.

"Vulva," he corrected cheekily, and she rolled her eyes. "I can't even see anything right now. I was just...thinking ahead, I guess." She blushed slightly at his implication, and he looked away, licking his lips and idly rubbing his palms over his thighs. "So..."

"Can we not do this again?" she interjected brashly, and he gave her a quizzical look. "Like last time, where you plan out and ask permission for every move? Just—go ahead and kiss me, Peeta."

He looked confounded, so Katniss unfolded her legs and leaned forward on her knees, pressing her mouth to his; she moved her lips clumsily, but that seemed to rouse him; he responded instantly, opening his mouth wider to greet her tongue with his own.

Oh. She forgot how much she liked this. She'd been so hung up on the other things his mouth could do, she had overlooked the simple pleasure of his kiss. He tasted minty, like he had brushed his teeth right before coming over. Her fingers knitted through his curls for something to hold onto as their lips slanted together. His tongue was in her mouth, stroking hers, and she was sure she was making some embarrassing noises that were supposed to be moans, but then his hands were on her waist, tugging her hips forward so he could lower her down to the mattress. When her head hit the pillow, his teeth bumped against her upper lip; she inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Ow."

"Sorry," he mumbled against her mouth, then he actually licked her lip, sucking it into his mouth very tenderly. She unwound his hair from around her fingers, sliding her hands down to his shoulders and his back to anchor herself there; there was a distinct, hard-to-ignore throbbing between her thighs that seemed to pulse with every flick of his tongue, every nip of his teeth. Peeta rested half his body on top of hers, pinning her to the bed, but he kept his full weight off of her by bracing his arm against the pillow.

Releasing her mouth, Peeta nudged her face to the side with his nose so he could kiss his way down her neck. She felt his tongue dart out frequently to lave the delicate skin along her jaw, then under her ear. He sealed his lips around a spot just above her collarbone and began to suck lightly; she squirmed, not sure whether she wanted to pull him closer or push him away, but when he sucked harder, she gasped and pushed on his shoulders. "Don't leave a mark!" she admonished, and he chuckled gruffly, dragging his mouth back up to hers.

"Why not?"

She curled her lip at him. "Because it's tacky." And she did not want to have to explain a hickey to anybody. He simply kissed her again in response, more possessively this time. She could hear how hard he was breathing through his nose, their mouths completely preoccupied with each other; her own chest was heaving slightly, and she suddenly ached for him to touch her breasts. But her mouth was too busy to ask, so she tugged her shirt up to move things along.

Peeta felt her intentions and abruptly broke the kiss, grabbing one of her wrists to stop her. "Wait." He sat up some to pull off his own shirt. She tried to sit up again to remove her top, but he pushed her hands away.

"What?" she asked, growing agitated—did he not want her naked?—but he gripped the hem of her shirt in his hands.

"I just wanted to undress you myself," he said quietly, carefully pulling her shirt up; she lifted her arms over her head for him, and once he had it off, he dropped it to the floor alongside his. Katniss lay back down, and Peeta hooked his fingers under her shorts and slowly removed them, leaving her in only her bra and panties. He moved up to lie beside her, his eyes lingering on her breasts.

"You can take my bra off, you know," she suggested. He huffed through his nose, giving her a sternly mocking look.

"I know. I'm trying to enjoy the moment, Katniss; work with me here," he mumbled, sliding his palm over the dip of her stomach up to her breasts, where he cupped her through her bra. Then he nudged his fingers under her bra cup, brushing over her pebbled nipple. Her eyes fluttered closed, her breath catching in her throat as he teasingly caressed the tip of her breast. It felt good, just a light touch, but she felt it resounding in her core.

She felt his hands wedge underneath her back a moment later to unlatch her bra clasp. He seemed to be having trouble, however, and she eventually opened her eyes to look at him; his brow was furrowed in concentration, his tongue poking from the corner of his mouth as his fingers fumbled, then he sighed. "Okay, roll over. I need to see what I'm working with here," he directed, his face slightly chagrined.

Snorting, Katniss shifted onto her stomach, and his hands prodded at her back while he tried the clasp again. Finally, he got it, and she rolled back over, letting Peeta slide the bra off her arms. When her breasts were exposed to his gaze, he just stared hungrily before covering her left one with his hand, massaging it firmly. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and watched his face; it was rapt with lust.

She didn't understand the reverence, really; they were just boobs. What was the big deal?

He pinched her nipple then, and she gasped, throwing her head back. Oh, right. That's what it was.

Peeta groaned as she squirmed under his insistent ministrations. "Oh, man," he muttered, rolling her nipple under his thumb; then he lifted her breast with his palm and lowered his mouth to wrap his lips around the tip. He sucked greedily, his free hand cupping her other breast. She felt his teeth digging into her flesh, and she grabbed the sides of his head to encourage him, clenching her thighs together tightly.

After a few minutes, she couldn't stand it anymore. She bucked her hips, trying to get his attention. "Peeta, can you—go down on me already?" she whined impatiently, and he laughed around her breast, flicking her nipple with his tongue.

"Eager much?" he taunted, echoing her words from earlier, and she sighed, pushing on his head. He batted her hand away and sat up, his fingers hooking around the sides of her panties to pull them down; Katniss lifted her hips for him, and he quickly yanked them off her feet, positioning himself between her legs once she was completely bare before him. He spread her knees open and pushed them up; she fought the inclination to cover herself again.

At least, she had done some maintenance this time. And showered. Though he hadn't seemed to mind last time. He noticed, his eyebrows raised while he stared at the juncture of her thighs. "I see you've trimmed," he noted, smirking, then added as an afterthought, "Definitely eager."

Groaning, she slung an arm over her face to cover her eyes. "Okay, less talking, maybe," she grumbled. He leaned over her to dip his fingers through her folds. She gasped, her arm falling back to her side as he swirled his fingers around her clit and then pushed a couple inside her. When he pulled his fingers out, he sucked them into his mouth. Her eyes widened slightly.

Well. That was kind of hot.

Peeta settled between her legs, spreading her open with his fingers, then he dragged his tongue between her wet folds. Katniss choked on a gasp, fighting the urge to jerk off the bed, but when he thrust his tongue inside her, her hips bucked reflexively, anyway. It was still a weird sensation to get used to initially, but he hummed a low moan at that moment, and she suddenly wanted to pull him as close to her as possible. Fisting his hair in her hands, she threw one leg over his shoulder and tugged him closer; his hot tongue teased her folds before plunging inside her again to lap at her wetness, and she keened every time his nose brushed against her clit.

He seemed to notice this; after a moment, he trailed his mouth up to her clit and swiped his tongue over it. She moaned loudly, so he repeated the action, and then again, alternating the pressure and speed. He paused momentarily. "What if I..." He didn't finish his thought, instead pressing his mouth to her clit to suck it into his mouth, and she gasped sharply, her back arching off the bed.

"Oh!" she panted, dazed. Peeta renewed his focus, suckling her clit earnestly. It was all too much; her orgasm came fast and sharp then, and she cried out as hot pleasure spiraled through her. She writhed beneath him, and he pulled away abruptly, alarmed.

"What's wr—oh," he said stupidly, watching as she covered her face and whimpered, still throbbing between her thighs. "That was...quicker than I expected."

She pushed down the impulse to tell him she'd made herself come faster with her vibrator before; she was still delirious from pleasure—insulting him just didn't seem a worthwhile pursuit at the moment. He crawled up her body, and she finally pulled her hands away from her eyes to look at him. He looked awed yet cocky, his pupils fat with want. When he leaned down to kiss her, she flinched away in horror and pushed his head back, her palm connecting with his forehead, hard. "Whoa!"

He stared at her, wide-eyed. "What?" he asked, confused.

She scrunched her face in disgust. "You can't just kiss me like that. At least, wipe off your face first," she asserted petulantly.

Peeta grunted, rolling his eyes. "It came out of your body," he grumbled, swiping the back of his hand over his mouth to remove some of her excess arousal.

"Doesn't mean I want it smeared all over  _my_  face," she griped. He licked his lips and then raised his eyebrows for her inspection.

"What about now? Does your highness approve?" he quipped. She examined his face critically; finally, she shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess you're fine."

"You guess, huh? Well, I  _guess_ I don't need to kiss you at all. In fact, I can just get dressed and go home," he threatened casually, and she nearly laughed. Did he think that was going to work on her?

"I got mine. I'm good," she said indifferently. He just gawked at her, then shook his head.

"You are so damn frustrating," he mumbled. He claimed her mouth before she could object again; she tensed at first but then melted against him, returning the kiss fiercely as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She could taste herself on him; it was weird. That was weird, right? But, whatever, she could deal with it, she guessed.

After indulging him for a couple minutes, Katniss pushed on his shoulder to break the kiss. "Did you bring a condom?" she breathed against his mouth, and he nodded, excitement lighting up his eyes. She snickered lightly as he scrambled off the bed and dug through his back pocket, tossing a handful of condoms onto the bed. Her eyebrows shot up as she held up the long chain of condoms.

"A little optimistic, aren't we?" she asked wryly, and he looked sheepish, shrugging his shoulders.

"Thought it was best to be prepared. I mean, no one ever regretted having too many condoms, right?" he replied easily, fishing something else out of his pocket. "I, uh, also brought this. In case...you want to use it."

It was the lube he'd bought. She eyed it warily; he just grinned shyly, so she took it from him. "Maybe," she hedged carefully, examining the label. Peeta unbuttoned his pants and slid them down his hips; she could see his erection straining against his boxer-briefs from the corner of her eye. When he pushed his underwear down, her eyes darted to his groin despite herself.

She hoped her apprehension didn't show on her face; she'd seen his dick before, but it was still just a weird-looking thing. And it was big. And she remembered how much it had hurt last time. She'd tested her new vibrator out last night; it had been a little uncomfortable because it was bigger than her old one, but she was trying to stretch her hymen further so the sex wouldn't be so painful. She'd thought perhaps the second time around would be better.

But looking at his dick now... "Yeah, we're gonna use the lube," she blurted as he climbed back onto the bed between her legs. He just nodded and tore off one of the condoms, ripping it open. Katniss fumbled awkwardly with the lube while he put the condom on, flipping the cap open and tipping the bottle over to squirt some into her palm.

"Uhh, you don't need that much," Peeta said, grimacing slightly as he took the bottle from her hand and dropped it to the mattress. Frowning, she eyed the puddle in her hand.

"Sorry, I don't spend a lot of time jacking off to know," she retorted then she held her hand out to him. "What do I do with it?"

He glanced down at his dick then back at her; he was smirking. "Well, lube me up, Everdeen."

Rolling her eyes, she grasped his cock in her sticky hand and coated the condom in the lube. He groaned softly, thrusting mildly until she pulled her hand away. There was still an excess of lube slickening her palm and fingers; cringing, she wiped it off on her bed sheets. Shit, she hoped that didn't leave a stain.

Peeta hovered over her, his hands on either side of her head to hold his weight off her. His eyes were full of concern and lust, and she felt the head of his cock pressing at her center. "Uh—think you're ready?" he asked hesitantly; her hands fluttered over his shoulders and his biceps (which were hard and taut with the strain of holding himself up), not sure where to hold him.

"You're the one who just gave me head, so you tell me," she said, trying not to think about how badly it was going to hurt; she knew if she was tense, it would be worst, but she felt her body going rigid with anxiety, regardless.

His eyebrow twitched in amusement as he reached between them to grab his cock. "Well, you're very wet, if that's what you mean." His voice was husky, and she felt her stomach twist with something other than nerves. She scoffed, anyway.

"Just put it in already— _ah_ ," she squeaked when he pushed into her, her fingers digging painfully into his shoulder blades. Peeta grunted, lowering his body to hers once their hips were flush.

"Sorry...does it still hurt?" he asked, breathing against her neck, and she made a face at the ceiling.

"Well, it doesn't feel great," she muttered. It didn't hurt like last time, but it was still uncomfortable as her body stretched and adjusted to the fullness of him inside her. The lube helped with the friction, at least.

Sighing, Peeta shifted his hips back then surged forward; she was glad he couldn't see the faces she was making. He halted then, lifting his face to look at hers. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked, though she could tell he was praying to every deity imaginable that she'd say no.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax her body, letting her legs fall open wider. "No, Peeta. I'm sure it'll be over in 30 seconds, anyway," she joked, a smirk teasing at her lips to blunt the sting of her words.

His jaw dropped, offense flashing across his face, then he released some sort of strangled laugh, thrusting into her again. "God, you're such a bitch. Why do I even like you?" he asked rhetorically, still moving between her thighs; she had no idea. She was a little shocked to hear him say it so bluntly—she hadn't been prepared for that.

So she didn't respond, both of them falling silent save for their ragged breaths and his barely audible moans; the soft rustling of the sheets was somewhat distracting. She finally sighed, sliding her hands over his shoulders. "It's so quiet," she whispered, which was dumb, considering she was so concerned about the quiet. But she needed something to say.

He chuckled thickly, his thrusts slow and restrained. His skin was warm and slick, and it was starting to make her feel sweaty. "Well—your sister said to keep it down, so—" He broke off into a groan when she involuntarily clenched around his cock.

"Ugh, please, don't talk about my sister while you're having sex with me," she groaned. "It's creepy."

He laughed again against her shoulder. "Fine." He palmed her breast, kneading the mound firmly, rolling her nipple under his palm, and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. She kind of just wanted him to do that all night. Her hands slipped from his shoulders, trailing down his chest, but she stopped suddenly, blinking her eyes open.

"Do you shave your chest?" she asked, perplexed, her fingernails scraping at the slight stubble there. His thrusts faltered, but he resumed his movements, breathing heavily.

"I—wrestling," he gasped out, as if that really answered her question, but she felt him pump into her a little faster, rougher. "Ah—shit, I'm gonna come," he grunted. She yelped when his fingers tugged roughly at her nipple as he came, his thrusts erratic until he stilled altogether on top of her. His moan was muffled against the curve of her neck; she could feel him pulsing inside her, emptying his semen into the condom.

He flopped down on the bed beside her a moment later, panting. Once he'd pulled the condom off, he glanced at her face apprehensively. "So, uh...how was it this time?"

She considered his words, then her mouth pulled to the side slightly. "I guess it wasn't so bad."

His head fell to the bed as he chuckled gravelly. " _Not bad_. Better than last time, at least. I'll work on it."

She scoffed lightly at his presumptuousness, pointing out the trash can to him when he rolled over to dispose of the condom. "And what makes you think I'd let you try it again?"

When he turned back to her, he was smirking that stupid little smirk of his. He pressed against her side, his hand ghosting over her pelvis, slipping between her thighs, and she gasped when his fingers probed at her clit, drawing circles around it. His lips grazed her ear as he murmured, "Won't you?"

Fuck. She would.

* * *

_Tell me again why we couldn't come to this party together?_

Reading Peeta's text, Katniss sighed. Her eyes found him across the room where he leaned casually against the wall, talking to some blonde chick. But his eyes were on her, his eyebrows raised expectantly. She narrowed her eyes at him and quickly typed out her response.

_You look like you're doing just fine without me._

She watched him pull his phone out of his pocket a moment later and read her text. He smirked slightly, quickly glancing at her before he texted her back. The blonde seemed oblivious to his disinterest in whatever she was babbling about, gesturing wildly as she talked.

_Jealous?_

Katniss scowled at her phone. Was that what he was trying to do? Make her jealous? He sure thought highly of himself. They weren't even dating; they were just hooking up occasionally. Okay, a little more than occasionally. A few times a week.

She had a problem. Her new vibrator had gone largely unused because of him. But she didn't really need it, she supposed, not when he was keeping her in constant supply of orgasms. And the sex was pretty decent now. Fun, even.

But it was just sex. Why did anyone else need to know about it? It was nobody's business. And, okay, maybe she feared their reactions. She had her pride to consider.

She looked at Peeta again, her body stiffening when she saw the blonde laugh at something he said and squeeze his bicep. She wasn't jealous. But that didn't mean he could just flirt with another chick right in front of her.

Katniss smiled to herself suddenly and sent him another message.  _Why would I be jealous? I know you're thinking about eating me out right now._

Hitting 'Send,' she waited for him to read the message. He looked at his phone casually, taking a sip of his beer, but he must have inhaled some of it because he started coughing violently, his face reddening considerably. She stifled a laugh as he waved off the blonde's concern, stepping away when she tried to rub his back; he motioned to his beer and mumbled something, then ducked into the kitchen, sparing Katniss a withering glare.

She bit down on her lip, fighting a grin.

"Who you textin'?"

Gale's voice startled her, and she frantically tried to exit out of her texts without being too conspicuous. "Uhhh, just—Madge."

Gale plopped down beside her on the couch, stretching his long legs out. "Why didn't she come? You could have invited her."

Katniss shrugged, shoving her phone into her back pocket. "She had to work." And then she was hanging out with Cato Harris. Gross. Katniss did not understand her friend's attraction to that asshole.

Chugging his beer, Gale nudged her with his elbow, then he smacked his lips and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "You wanna be my beer pong partner? I called next."

"Okay, but I'm not drinking the beer," she said, and he huffed.

"Suck it up, Catnip. My house, my rules, and you have to drink the beer when you play." She groaned, and he held up his hands. "Hey, just bring your A game, and you won't have to worry about it."

She pouted, sinking down into the couch. Easier said than done—she sucked at beer pong.

* * *

Katniss glared at Peeta across the table as Rye made yet another cup; they high-fived, and Peeta grinned innocently at her. Gale grunted in annoyance and emptied the Solo cup of beer down his throat, setting it back on the table once it was empty.

"Okay, little bro. Just one cup to hit," Rye told Peeta, handing him a ball. "No pressure or anything, but if you don't get it in, I might have to disown you." Peeta just rolled his eyes and assumed his shooting stance.

Her eyebrow quirked, and she smirked. "Might wanna start drafting those papers now, Rye. Peeta's never been good at getting it in," she taunted, and Gale guffawed loudly, doubling over.

Peeta's fiery gaze snapped to hers, his hand poised to shoot. She cocked an eyebrow in challenge, folding her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Shit, Peet," Rye whistled next to him. "You gonna let her talk about you like that?"

Peeta smiled in response, a dangerous sort of smile, and Katniss was mildly scared. She fought down her worry, pursing her lips together as he took aim, eyeing the last red cup carefully. "I don't need to say anything, Rye," he said calmly, then he launched the ball through the air. It arced down into the cup with a satisfying  _plop_. Katniss and Gale blinked in disbelief. "My actions speak for themselves."

Rye crowed triumphantly and slapped his brother on his back. Katnis glowered at Peeta as Gale pushed the cup into her hand to drink. "Last one's yours," he intoned, and she sighed dramatically. Peeta smiled at her as she painfully chugged the beer, slamming the empty cup on the table. Ugh. Fucking beer. Her lip curled in disgust, and she flipped him off, marching into the kitchen to find something to get the awful hoppy taste out of her mouth.

She was desperately chugging some orange juice when Gale found her and laughed at her dramatics. "We need to work on your aim, Catnip," he chastised, and she frowned, licking her lips.

"My aim is fine. Put me in front of a bulls-eye with a bow and arrows, and I'll show you."

Gale grinned. "I don't think weapons and alcohol would be a good mix with this crowd."

She snorted. "I don't know, might liven things up a bit."

Peeta entered the kitchen then, but she ignored him—until he slid behind her to get to the fridge, brushing his crotch against her ass. Her face flushed, and she stiffened. "Oh, excuse me," he gushed disingenuously. She shot him a nasty look over her shoulder as he opened the fridge and started to root around for more beer.  _Excuse me_ , her ass; she knew he did that on purpose. But she opted not to acknowledge him, turning her nose up.

Gale watched Peeta, amusement dancing in his gray eyes. "Nice shot, Mellark," he offered when Peeta turned back around, shutting the fridge. He nodded his head at the compliment, and Katniss gritted her teeth.

"Thanks." His hands full of beer, Peeta brushed past her again, bumping her forward with his hips. She squawked in protest, nearly colliding with Gale. "Oh, man, so sorry. This kitchen is so small, you know?" Peeta apologized, his voice full of mock sincerity, and then he disappeared back into the living room.

Her face burned with anger and embarrassment, and she was already devising numerous ways to get him back when she noticed Gale snickering. She glared at him. "What?"

He shook his head. "He's got it bad."

"Huh?" she asked dumbly.

"He totally wants to fuck you."

Her jaw dropped as she gaped at him. "What?! No—huh? No, I mean— _what_?" she sputtered incoherently, panic solidifying in her chest. How could he tell? Was it that obvious? Did he already know they were hooking up? Oh,  _fuck._

Gale barked in amusement. "Whoa, calm down, Catnip. I said  _he_ wanted to, not you." His brow creased as he regarded her curiously. "Though, now I'm wondering about  _you..._ "

She scowled, hoping to deflect his suspicions with anger. "He's a giant tool, Gale. I'd sooner fuck Cato," she snarled, fighting the urge to shudder in revulsion. Smirking, Gale shrugged as he opened the fridge to get another beer.

"If you say so, Catnip."

"Yes, I say so!" she snapped. He just chuckled to himself, leaving her to stew in the kitchen by herself.

Huffing, she yanked her phone out of her purse and quickly typed out a message to Peeta.  _WTF was that?!_ His response didn't come for a couple of minutes.

_You're gonna have to be a little more specific, sweetheart._

She scowled at her phone.  _You know exactly what I'm referring to, dickbag. And don't call me sweetheart._

_Oh, were we not purposely trying to antagonize each other? I thought that's what you were going for, SWEETHEART._

She nearly threw her phone down in frustration, and she burned with animosity—and for him. Damn him.  _Ugh. I hate you. Meet me in Gale's room in 10 minutes._

He didn't respond, but when she passed by the beer pong table in the living room a few minutes later, she felt his eyes on her all the way down the hallway to Gale's bedroom. She flipped the light on and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the wall beside the door and waited, fiddling with her phone to pass the time.

Exactly 10 minutes after she'd sent her last message to Peeta, the door creaked open.

"Katniss?"

She jumped toward him, pinching his side through his shirt. He twisted away, spinning around. "Ow— _hey_!" She swung the door shut and glared at him. "What was that for?"

"Don't say my name like that, you idiot. What if someone else had been in here?" she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest.

He frowned, still rubbing the tender spot on his side. "Now I can't even say your name out loud? It's not like I came in yelling, 'Hey, Katniss, let's fuck!' Jesus. I'm gonna have a bruise now..."

She snorted humorously. "You deserve it for what you did in the kitchen."

He grinned. "What? Just had to assert how good I actually am at  _getting it in_."

She shot him a dubious look. "Good? Let's not push it." He looked momentarily wounded, but then he shrugged.

"Well, I'm good where it counts, at least." He moved closer to her, sliding his hands around her waist to pull her closer. "You keep coming back for more, anyway."

His audacity surprised her before she shook it off, pressing a hand to his chest to hold him back. "Reign it in, Mellark. You can't do shit like that in front of others. You've already made Gale suspicious. He thinks you want to fuck me!"

Peeta looked confused. "So? He's right."

"Well, duh. But do you want him to know that?"

"I don't give a shit. You're the one who's ashamed to be seen with me."

His words took her off guard; his face looked indifferent, but the hurt was palpable in his voice. She wanted to tell him to stop being stupid, but she swallowed her natural impulse to insult him and sighed. "I'm not ashamed. I'm  _embarrassed_ ," she corrected.

He chuckled. "And there's a difference?"

"Yes!" She flushed slightly, fidgeting with her braid. "Because I spent seven years hating you, and now I'm having sex with you. Do you know how hard it is to admit I'm wrong? Oh, God, Gale is going to give me so much shit..."

"I really don't think anyone is going to care as much as you seem to think they will," he offered, fighting a smile. She glared at him.

"You don't know Gale like I do. He'll use this at every opportunity to rub in my face. Do you even know how much shit I talked about you over the years?" she rambled, staring over his shoulder.

"Yeah—wait, what?" He pulled back to look at her face incredulously. "Just how much shit  _did_  you talk about me?" Her face screwed up defensively.

"You called me Cat Piss and laughed at me! And then you were a cocky asshole every time I saw you after that, okay?" she snapped. "I had every right to talk shit about you, Mellark."

He shook his head. "Fine, okay, I don't care," he sighed, leaning down again to nuzzle her neck.

Katniss squirmed in his arms, protesting mildly. "Hey, I didn't come in here to fool around—I just wanted to tell you to knock that shit off."

"Okay, I'll knock that shit off," he agreed readily, dragging his mouth up and down her neck. Her skin tingled wherever his lips touched, making her shiver slightly. She could feel his erection pressing against her pelvis. "Can we still fool around?"

"I told you that's not why I invited you back here," she asserted breathlessly. But then why did she invite him back here? She didn't need to tell him any of this in person. And she knew it was risky—someone could notice they were both missing or see them both leaving Gale's room. Or Gale could even come back here to use the bathroom or something.

Peeta laughed gravelly against her neck. "Sure you didn't," he teased, flicking the tip of his tongue over the curve where her neck met her shoulder.

A frustrated growl rumbled low in her throat, even as she stretched her neck to give him more access. "I'm not going to do it in  _Gale's_  room, Peeta. That's disgusting."

He whimpered, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "Well, we couldn't, anyway. I didn't bring any condoms."

That surprised her. "Really? Why not?"

He lifted his head to look at her, amused. "I don't know; guess I just knew you wouldn't have sex with me here. I didn't realize you'd be so disappointed by that..."

His grin annoyed her, and she rolled her eyes. "I am  _not_ disappointed—" But she was, kind of. This was stupid. She hadn't necessarily been thinking about having sex with him until he said she couldn't. And now she wanted it. She pushed the thought away—it didn't matter; they were in Gale's room, anyway, and that would just be weird.

"If you say so," he hummed smugly. His eyes brightened then. "We can do other stuff, though."

She eyed him warily, reluctant to admit her curiosity was piqued. "Oh?" Stepping away from her, he grabbed her hand and steered her toward the bathroom, turning the light on. When he shut the door, he pinned her against it and hurriedly captured her mouth with his, sliding his tongue past her lips. She was panting when he broke the kiss a moment later.

"You were right earlier." She looked at him quizzically, so he elaborated, "About me, uh, thinking about going down on you. I pretty much always am, just so you know." He grinned at her, his cheeks pink; she knew she was blushing, too.

She cleared her throat. "No shit." His hands came up to bracket her face, his thumbs smoothing over her eyebrows. She was confused by the tender gesture; he looked pensive. "What?"

His expression turned sheepish. "Well, so, I was just thinking..." He paused, dropping one hand to her shoulder and running the other through his hair. He looked really nervous now. He coughed lightly. "Well, I, uh, do— _that—_ for you, a lot. And I really like it, clearly. But, um...I was wondering— _hoping—_ you might, uh…dothesameforme."

She blinked. And blinked again. When his words finally registered, her eyes widened slightly. "Oh. You want me to suck your dick."

His cheeks flamed, and he laughed oddly, a high-pitched sort of sound. "I mean—yes. That's what I'm asking. If you want. No pressure. I just...wondered if you were interested?"

She frowned. The thought hadn't really appealed to her before, no. The penis was a funny thing. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted it anywhere near her face. She tilted her head down to eye his crotch, his bulge nestled between their bodies. "Uhhh...I have no idea where your dick has been, Peeta."

He tugged on her braid. "Well, for starters, it's only been inside you lately," he said, a smile in his voice.

Only? The word made her feel funny; she didn't know how to respond, so she just scowled at his chest. Peeta coughed lightly and took a step back. "I, uh...I told you I'd only had sex twice before you. I meant that literally. It was the same girl. I used a condom both times."

She glanced at his face; his mouth was pulled tightly in a bashful grimace. His discomfort almost made her laugh, and she had to suppress a smile. "Okay, but how many girls have given you head?" she asked seriously, folding her arms over her chest.

He made a face. "Do you want a list?"

She snorted. "Well, that answers my question."

He chuckled, blushing furiously. "I didn't mean—well, it's been a few, I guess. I—anyway," he shook his head and waved his hands helplessly. "Never mind, I just thought—forget I asked—"

Katniss pushed off the door and guided him backward so she could sit down on the toilet. When she tugged on his hips to pull him back toward her, his crotch level with her face, he made some sort of sputtering sound. "Wait, are you actually—?"

She looked up at him through her eyelashes as she unzipped his pants and parted the fly. "Don't say I never did anything for you, Mellark," she grumbled, stretching his boxer-briefs down over his erection.

"Oh, God," he whimpered, gripping the edge of the sink tightly. His other hand grappled aimlessly in the air, like he didn't know what to do with it, until it settled on her head.

She hesitated, staring at his dick helplessly. The head was an angry pink, the shaft thick, and there was moisture oozing from the tip. What was she supposed to do with it? Swallowing a sigh, she just decided to dive in—maybe if it was horrible and she sucked at it, he'd never want her to do it again. Holding onto his hips, she touched her tongue to his head tentatively. Peeta gasped instantly, his fingers curling into her hair. She could taste the pre-cum; it was salty and weird, but at least it was just a taste.

Oh God, what was going to happen when he came? She pulled back suddenly to glare up at him. "You better tell me when you're about to come, or I swear to God," she threatened, and he nodded earnestly, urging her back to his cock.

Screwing up her courage, she opened her mouth and slid his head inside. Peeta moaned loudly. "Shit, that feels good." Her tongue flicked across the glans experimentally, eliciting some kind of strained gurgle from the back of his throat. The head filled most of her mouth, and she was suddenly very aware of how big he was and just how small her mouth was. How was she supposed to fit the rest of him in? How did people do this?

She tried to open her mouth a little wider, to take in more of his cock, but he hissed suddenly, his fingers pulling on the roots of her hair. "Shit, Katniss, your teeth."

"What?" Except the question was muffled and came out more like "Wrrmmf?"

"Don't use your teeth! That hurts," he whispered, and she slid his cock out of her mouth to scowl at him.

"I don't know what you mean! How do I not use my teeth?"

He looked down at her, his mouth slack. "I dunno, just—retract them or, or wrap your lips around them or something."

Retract them? Like she was a fucking vampire or something. Huffing, she took him back into her mouth, sorely tempted to scrap her teeth over his shaft now. But she tried to buffer them with her lips as her tongue swirled around his head, wetting it. He moaned again, splaying his fingers over the crown of her head. After a couple minutes, he began thrusting slightly against her face, his hand urging her closer. "Katniss, can you—more—"

She made the mistake of opening her mouth wider. He thrust a little too hard right then, hitting the back of her throat. She started gagging immediately, and she shoved him away roughly.

"Hey!" he cried when his cock popped out of her mouth wetly, and she covered her mouth as she coughed harshly, wiping away the strings of saliva that dribbled from her lips. "Oh, fuck—"

She glared at him, her eyes watering. "Jesus, Peeta, are you trying to choke me?" she snapped hoarsely then coughed again.

His eyes were wide with horror. "Fuck, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

The bathroom door swung open suddenly, and they both jumped. "Oh—shit!" Katniss' head snapped toward the voice, and she got a brief glimpse of dark hair and olive skin before the door slammed shut again.

Oh, fuck.

"Uhh, am I hammered out of my mind, or did Gale just open the door?" Peeta asked tentatively, and she blinked up at him.

"Yeah. That was...that was Gale."

"Shit." Peeta hastily stuffed his dick into his pants, rousing her from her shock.

"Damn it, Peeta, I can't believe you didn't lock the door!" she shouted, and he gawked at her as he tugged on his zipper.

"What?  _Me_? You could have locked it, too!" he insisted, wincing as he tucked his boner up under the waistband of his pants.

She groaned, covering her face. "Oh, my God, I can't believe Gale just saw me giving you head, holy shit..."

"Well, to be fair, all he saw was me standing here with my dick out," Peeta offered, smiling weakly at her. She glowered at him.

"And, what, he's just going to assume I was examining your dick for health reasons?"

He shrugged, ruffling his curls nervously. "Gale's gotten his dick sucked many times, I'm sure. It's not a big deal."

Her eyes widened. "Jesus Christ, Peeta, I don't want to think about my best friend getting blowjobs right now. Or ever!"

They stiffened when they heard someone clearing their throat on the other side of the door. "Uh, guys? I'm still out here. And I can definitely hear you," Gale said loudly. Katniss groaned again, scrubbing her hands over her red face.

Shit, this was so much worse than she could have imagined.

"Go away!" she called through the door.

"What? No!" he yelled back indignantly. "It's my bathroom! And I'd appreciate it if you didn't suck Mellark's dick in my bathroom!"

Her face flushed, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. Fuck. How fucking embarrassing. Gale was going to eat this up. She sighed loudly and stood up from the toilet. "Okay, fine, let's just get this shit show over with." Holding her head up high, she threw the door open and marched out, Peeta following her timidly.

Gale regarded them with smug amusement, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Katniss was immediately on the defensive at the look he gave her.

"Shut up, Gale!"

He frowned. "I didn't even—"

"I know what you're thinking; you're trying so hard not to laugh," she accused. Gale snickered and held his hands up.

"Come on, you don't think I have a right to laugh? I just caught you giving Mellark head. Mellark, of all people!" Gale laughed harder, slapping his knee. Peeta shuffled awkwardly behind her, and she clenched her jaw, swallowing every insult she suddenly wanted to fling at her friend. "Man, I knew you wanted to fuck him. Didn't I tell you? You two are so fucking obvious."

"Obvious? What does that mean?" she snapped, planting her hands on her hips.

Gale looked at her pointedly. "Seriously, Catnip. Mellark clearly has a hard-on for you; that was obvious all throughout high school."

Peeta frowned. "Hey—I mean, not for a couple years there. She was a bitch."

Katniss squeaked in protest, glaring at him. "Only because you were an asshole!"

"Because you broke my nose!" he cried, and her gray eyes flashed dangerously. Gale held up a hand.

"Okay, shut the fuck up. I don't care. And if you two start going at right here in front of me, I'm gonna lose it." He ran a hand through his hair and smirked at her again. "Regardless, it was apparent to everybody how much he wanted you. And you don't talk that much about somebody unless you like them at least a little, come on."

She flushed, clamping her mouth shut. Peeta stared at her in awe, but she wouldn't look at him. This was incredibly humiliating.

Gale shrugged. "It's not a big deal. If you two wanna fuck, then fuck. I'd prefer you don't do it anywhere near my shit, though," he said. "Anyway, I gotta piss." He slipped past them but whirled around suddenly, pointing a threatening finger at Peeta's chest. "If you hurt her, Mellark, I will fuck you up."

Katniss scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm a big girl, Gale. I can fuck him up myself. Obviously." He just laughed, disappearing into the bathroom.

Peeta looked at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Dude."

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

A giddy smile spread across his face. "You like me." She opened her mouth to refute it, but he cut her off, "He just said it, and you didn't correct him. So you do." Shit. Katniss gritted her teeth, averting her gaze. His smile softened, and he stepped closer to her. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know."

She groaned loudly, rolling her eyes. She couldn't deal with this right now. "Oh, my God. Just...shut up, Peeta. Let's get out of here. I am so over this party." She stomped toward the door, but he grabbed her hand to stop her. She spared him a glance over her shoulder; he looked apprehensive.

"Now, when you say, 'let's'...do you mean, you and me—together?"

Her face went blank as her own words registered with her. She had said that, hadn't she? Wow. She was getting sentimental already. She rolled her eyes, wrapping her hand around his. "Don't get sappy on me now, Mellark. Yes, we're leaving. Together." He grinned widely as she pulled him out of the bedroom. "And I think you owe me a few orgasms after tonight."


End file.
